Mistaken identity or something more? USS Liberty attack debate resurfaces

On June 8, 1967, Israeli air and naval forces attacked the USS Liberty, a United States Navy technical research ship operating in international waters off Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, killing at least 34 US sailors and wounding 171 others.

The strike happened during the 1967 war, when Israel captured Egypt’s Sinai, Gaza, and the West Bank.

Israel has long said the assault was a tragic case of mistaken identity, but survivors and researchers have continued to dispute that account.

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A most troublesome case of mistaken identity

The attack began when Israeli jets struck the vessel with anti-personnel weapons and armor-piercing bullets before torpedo boats hit the ship and tore a large hole in its starboard side.

The crew had been flying the US flag. They had even exchanged waves with low-flying Israeli aircraft earlier that morning, which survivors have pointed to as evidence that the ship should have been identifiable.

Israel has maintained that exhausted pilots confused the ship with an Egyptian warship.

Renewed attention from lawmakers and survivors

The incident has returned to public attention this year after US Representative Thomas Massie announced he would deliver a speech on the House floor to honor and memorialize the crew of the Liberty.

Massie described the episode as an “unprovoked attack by Israel,” while survivor advocates said the US response never fully confronted the facts.

Richard Brooks, the vessel’s chief engineer, told Al Jazeera in a 2015 interview that “it wasn’t a tragic accident,” and Ernie Gallo, president of the USS Liberty Survivors Group, rejected Israel’s mistaken-identity explanation and accused the US government of accepting a false narrative.

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Six decades on

Nearly six decades later, the attack remains a point of contention over accountability, classification, and the political relationship between Washington and Jerusalem.

Records related to the incident remain classified. The US Congress never formally questioned the attack or formed a committee to investigate it.

Despite the incident's magnitude and the deaths of 34 American service men, survivors and their allies, to this day, are still calling for a more thorough official investigation. Still no answers.

FAQs

Q1: What was the USS Liberty attack?

Ans: Israeli forces attacked the USS Liberty in 1967, killing 34 US sailors and injuring 171.

Q2: Why is the USS Liberty attack still controversial?

Ans: Survivors dispute Israel's mistaken-identity explanation and continue to seek further investigation.